I previously wrote a column warning that media coverage of the George Floyd trial of Derek Chauvin was dangerously incomplete and slanted. The concern was that the public was not being informed of strong defense arguments that would be used at the trial. The danger is that any acquittal or hung jury would then come as an even greater surprise — contributing to more rioting and violence. The coverage of the final day of the trial only magnified those concerns as legal experts and journalists seemed more set on advocating than reporting on the underlying issues. Continue reading ““Believe Your Eyes, Chauvin’s Knee Killed Floyd”: How The Line Between The Press and The Prosecution Disappeared In The Chauvin Trial”
Category: Media
We recently discussed the move by Twitter to block the tweet of sports journalist Jason Whitlock criticizing the BLM co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors for purchasing a $1.4 million home in a secluded area of Los Angeles. A self-professed Marxist, Cullors has reportedly purchased four homes worth more than $3 million and has looked at real estate investments in places like the Bahamas. As with the censoring of a New York Post article on the Hunter Biden laptop story, Twitter was criticized for the censoring of the story and later said it was a mistake. Now, Facebook has reportedly blocked the underlying New York Post report about the controversy. In the meantime, BLM itself insists that the controversy is little more than terrorism from white supremacists.
The former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter has been arrested and charged with second degree manslaughter in the shooting of Daunte Wright. The charge allows for up to ten years in prison but it also has a standard that could prove challenging in the prosecution. Continue reading “Former Officer Kim Potter Charged With Second Degree Manslaughter”
Below is my column in The Hill on the Wright shooting and the continuing prejudicial statements made by political figures. The shooting appears to be an accidental case of “weapon confusion,” which we have previously discussed on this blog. Yet, politicians are declaring the shooting to be an intentional racist act as rioting continues to rage in various cities.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “Politicians Again Choose Politics Over Process In The Wright Shooting”
A new report from Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton has sent congressional leaders scrambling after finding that Capitol police were told that they could not use critical riot materials and tactics in preparation for the Jan. 6th protests. The finding challenges the narrative put forward in the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. It also raises questions of whether congressional leaders (who repeatedly condemned Trump for the death and injuries of officers) share responsibility for the loss of control of Congress to the rioters. Continue reading “IG Report: Congress Restricted The Capitol Police’s Use of Material And Tactics Before Capitol Riot”
We have been discussing the long-standing effort of many in the media to avoid referring to “rioting” in states like Minnesota and Oregon. Even with rioting and looting in full view in the last couple nights, the networks continued to refer to protests or at most “protests turn violent.” It appears that Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon never got the memo. At a press conference, he was scolded for calling the widespread rioting a “riot” by reporters. Continue reading ““Don’t Do That”: Reporters Tell Police Chief Not To Use The Term “Riot””
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib wasted no time in declaring that the shooting of Daunte Wright was a racist shooting and no accident. The long advocate for defunding police has declared that she is done with “government funded murder.” I have a column this morning in The Hill discussing how such comments can prejudice not only the case against any officer in the Wright case but the ongoing trial of former officer Derek Chauvin. While a long advocate to defund the police, Rep. Tlaib seems to go even further to call for an end of all policing in her most recent comments.
Continue reading ““Intentionally Racist”: Rep. Tlaib Declares Wright Shooting “Wasn’t An Accident””
Professor Amy Chua was by all accounts a popular and accomplished teacher at Yale Law School. Chua’s life (and standing) however seemed to change dramatically in 2018 when she published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Kavanaugh Is a Mentor To Women.” She reports that she instantly became a pariah at the school and in the academy. Now, Chua is alleging that she was subject to the removal from small first-year classes in an action that lacked the most basic guarantees of notice and due process. Continue reading “Persona Non Grata: Yale Professor Who Defended Kavanaugh Is Reportedly Sanctioned Without Notice Or Explanation”
We have been discussing the expanding censorship on Twitter and social media. The latest example involves the story of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors, 37, and her purchase of a $1.4 million home in a secluded area of Los Angeles whose population is reputedly less than 2% black. The professed Marxist received considerable criticism for the purchase, including from Jason Whitlock, an African-America sports critic who has also been a critic of BLM. When Whitlock called out Khan-Cullors, Twitter promptly censored the tweet — leaving a notice that it was “no longer available.” Continue reading “Twitter Censors Criticism of BLM Founder Buying $1.4 Million Home In Predominantly White Neighborhood”
We recently discussed how the media has made Hunter Biden a type of collective reclamation project — ignoring evidence of a new possible federal crime while not challenging glaring omissions and contradictions in his interviews. That includes avoiding a gun controversy even as his father calls for a new law to address the very issue raised by Hunter. This collective willful blindness was evident in the interview conducted last night by Jimmy Kimmel where the two joked about Hunter’s convenient lack of memory. Hunter goes blank on incriminating issues even though he can remember other details going back to when he was eight years old. Continue reading “The Hunter Biden Reclamation Project: Jimmy Kimmel Is The Latest To Embrace Hunter’s Scandal Spin”
I previously wrote about the defamation claims filed by former Rep. Katie Hill has lost a lawsuit against her husband and a variety of other people, including the Daily Mail for reporting on her sex scandal involving a former aide. I stated that the legal basis for the lawsuit against the media was highly dubious and that the underlying stories were protected under the First Amendment as matters of public interest. As expected, the case against the Daily Mail was thrown out by Los Angeles Judge Yolanda Orozco on First Amendment grounds.
The University of Miami Law School is facing a controversy over how to handle racist comments directed against white students — with objections over a double standard at the university. It is increasingly common to read anti-white commentary in the media, including a column recently from Elie Mystal writer for Above the Law and The Nation’s justice correspondent who lashed out at “white society” and how he strived to maintain a “whiteness free” life in the pandemic. Miami Law School has been silent in the face of complaints filed against student Jordan Gary after she posted her comments publicly on Instagram. Continue reading “Law Student’s Instagram Posting Triggers Debate Over Anti-White Speech”
The White House is not the only outfit struggling to explain the false statements repeatedly made by President Joe Biden about Georgia’s election law. Biden’s false claims have been widely refuted, including by the Washington Post. Yet, CNN’s host Don Lemon mocked those raising the false statements and insisted that Biden merely misspoke. The problem is that he repeated the false claims after they were refuted and White House Press Secretary Jan Psaki has insisted that Biden was speaking truthfully in the Biden version of “alternative facts.” What was also not explained on CNN was how the Georgia law is “Jim Crow on steroids” if these two objections are untrue and states like New York and Delaware (and Colorado where the MLB is sending the All-Star game) have stricter provisions. CNN ran the slogan “Facts First” throughout the Trump Administration, but it seems that facts are more fluid in 2021.
We have been discussing the false statements made by President Joe Biden and White House Press Secretary Jan Psaki to support the boycott of Georgia over its new voting law. Yet, the White House is not the only ones seemingly doubling down on that narrative. The MLB refused to reconsider its controversial decision to move the gam from Atlanta. It is now sending the game to Denver. It is a move that will only heighten objections. Colorado also requires identification for voting — one of the key points of objection to Georgia. New polling shows that, even after this campaign, Americans continue to overwhelmingly support such mandatory identification rules with almost 75 percent in favor of such rules. Indeed, over 50 percent of Democrats support such voter identification rules. Some polling shows 63 percent of Democrats supporting such mandatory rules. Continue reading “MLB Moves All-Star Game To Colorado Despite The State’s Mandatory Voter Identification Rule”